Locking device for internal-combustion engines.



LLKNIEL. LOCKINGA DEVICE Foa INTERNAL coNBusTIoN ENGINES.

APPLICATJON FILED MARv 29, 1916.

Patend Oct. 3, 1916.

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LOCKING DEvIcIin fon INTERNAL coMBuSTIoN ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1916.

- Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

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lpart f the LOCKING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTIN ENGINES.

Specification of' Letters Patent.

Patentes oei. s isis.,

Application led March 29, 1916. Serial No. 537,575.l

To all whom t may concern i Be it known that I, LEWIS J. KNIEL, a citizen of the United States, Cass avenue, Detroit, county of Wayne, and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Devices for lnternaLCombustion of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to locking devices for internal-combustion engines, and is par ticularly designed to provide simple and effective means for disengaging certain operating parts of an engine and locking them in an inoperative ing means, which lockingA means' can be manipulated to restore the disengaged parts to operative position only by a person who carries the necessary key or knows the combination for releasing thelocking elements employed. o

My improved locking 4device difiers materially from ordinary automobile locks in that it locks the engine itself, and not some tansmismission mechanism feed mechanism, etc., and 'while especially useful as a lock to prevent the theft of automobiles, motorcycles, etc.,lit isalso useful to safeguard motor boats, stationary env-gines, etc., preventing all unwarranted op- --eration of th f e engines.- y This invention also provides an effective and safe locking device Without in any way affecting the .adjustment of the en 'ne valves, thel timing of the spark mechanism,

clutches, gears, brakes, etc., but allows all adjustments ,to remain in any desired position While the` engine gine, my locking' device allows the 4vehicle lto be pushed `or pulled (by power other'y `freey movement of the vehicle being very desirable in removing the car -out of danger in case of lire or accident, and permitting ready change of position'in the garage or in the street.

The locking means employed in my device may be of any desired form, but I preferably employ, and herein mutation lool; substantially shown in my prior Patent, sued September l, 19147. My improved locking devicer is along the the same as that guished 'therefrom in many practical fea- Engines,

`necting device position by suitable lock- 'to a is locked. -llurtherg more, When used with an automobile, en- "ing illustrate, ,a per- No. 1,108,995, is`

same line as 'thatv shown in my prior patent, but is distintures,

-. The essential parts of my present locking device consist of an inner rotatable member affixed narily driven by said shaft, `a'sliiftable conbetween the inner and outer vmembers for driving one from the other,

and lockable means for holding'said conrelation to the rotatable e embodiment nectingcdevice out 'of driving prevent the rotation of one of memberswhen desired, ln th herein illustrated, l have employed an inner 's sleeve secured to the crank shaft of an engine, and anouter encircling sleeve secured gear ordinarily driven by the crank shaft, a diametrically-disposed connecting device movable through slots in both of said sleeves, and permutation locking means ar ranged to hold the connecting device out of engagement with the outer sleeve so that the rotation of the inner sleeve will not impart rotation to the outer sleeve.

While many otherforms and arrangements of my locking device could be constructed, I illustrate and describe this ferred embodiment as an exempliiication of the invention displaying its features of simplicity, eectiveness, inexpensiveness of manufacture, andA ease of assembling and operation;

Reference is to be had to the accompanydrawings, wherein similar figures designate similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein` i Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my .improved locking device in o erative position, taken substantially on t e line Fig. 2 is a view similar to parts in an inoperaa detail view of the with the permutashaft, Atimingv shaft, etc. The locking device the improved device having fewer. y n parts,.and such parts easily and inexpenresiding at 305 prey has been found to be particularly useful, however', When attached to the crank shaft of the engine, vand is herein shown as connected thereto.

6 designates a gear of the engine ordinarily driven by the engine shaft, and is preferably the master gear of the engine-ae., the gear carried by the crank shaft which intermeshes with and actuates the gears which control the opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves, the timing of the spark mechanism, etc. In the assembling of my improved device, the master gear 1s disconnected.Y from its former engagement with the crank shaft,` and is then connected to one element of my locking device, while the crank shaft is connected to another element thereof, the master gear being loose upon the crank shaft except at such times as connection is made from the shaft to the gear through my locking device. When the master gear is loose upon the shaft the crank shaft may be rotated by other forces than the engine, .as by a starting device or through the transmission mechanism'when the vehicle is moved from place toplace Without turning this master gear to open and close the engine valves, etc., and accordingly the engine will not operate.

My locking device as herein shown consists of an inner sleeve 7 suitably connected to the crank shaft 5, an intermediate member 8 being herein'employedl, which member is directly connected with both the crank shaft and the inner sleeve. The outer sleeve 9 encircles'the inner sleeve and is securely connected by any suitable means with the master gear 6, Which loosely encircles the crank shaft 5. The inner sleeve 7 lis formed with a slot 10 (see Fig. 4) andthe outer sleeve is formed with a longer slot 11, and in the assembling of the device the slots 10 and 11 are radially alined to receive the head of the reciprocable connecting member 12, which is formed with a suitable body portion extending into the guide slot 13 formed in the inner sleeve opposite the slot 10. A spring 1-1 encircling the body portion normally presses the headrof the connecting device outwardly so as to enter the slot 11 of the outer sleeve 9 for driving said sleeve.

As herein shown, the head of the connecting device 12 is formed with an inclined rear portion adapted to contact with the inclined forward :face of a slidable key 15 arranged in the slot 11 of the outer sleeve and guided in its sliding movements by the walls of said slot. The slidable key 15 extends radiall-y outward beyond the periphery of the sleeve 9, and is engaged at its' rear face by a portion of a short sleeve 16 slidably monnt ed on the outer sleeve 9 and carrying the. permutation tumbler locking rings 17. llaeh ol the permutation tumbler locking rirfs 17 is formed with an internal annular channel 18 and the walls of this channel are notched or cut away at intervals, as at19, (Fig. 5), the notches being so disposed that when alined the rings may be slid over the toothed locking plates E20. One or more of said toothed plates 20 may be employed, as desired, the notches and plates being correspondingly spaced, and the notches being but slightly Wider than the toothed plates l so that only when the notches are properly alined with the toothed plates can the permutation tumbler'lock and the sleeve 16 be slid` thereover. The channels 18 vare of slightly greater Width than each tooth or lug of the plates 20 so that when a notched ring has been slid over a tooth or lug, the ring may be turned to throw the notch and tooth out of alinement, whereupon the ring cannot be slid in either direction along the sleeve until the notch again is in proper alinement with the tooth. The periphery' of each permutation tumbler locking ring is calibrated, as shown in Fig. 5, While the adjacent surfaces of the sleeves 16 are also calibrated, and it will be apparent thatb v judicial placing of the notches in the rings relatively to the numbers upon the peripheries, any desired combination of numbers can be arranged, which -must always be brought into alinement on the peripheries of the rings at one particular point to allow .the sliding of all the rings and the sleeve 16` n ing plate 20.

During the sliding movement of the slcevc 16 from the position shown in Fig. 1 toward the. position shown in Fig. Q, the key 15 will be slid within the elongated slot 11 and the inclined face thereof will ride upon the inclined portion of the connecting member 12, forcing said connecting member inwardly against the tension of the spring 14: to the position shown in Fig. Q. and forcing said connecting member ont of engagement with the walls of thc slot 11 of the sleeve 9. As the sleeve 16 is again slid toward the position shown in Fig. 1` the springlf will press the head ofthe connecting member 1Q outwailly into its free position in the slot 11. Y

From the above it will be apparent that with the locking device arranged on the crank shaft of an engine. the engine may be operated as long as desired` the locking dcvice in no way interfering with the ordinary operation of the. engine. since the master gear 6 is driven l'rom the crank shaft 5 imitation tumbler locking rings Lacasse through the intervention of the locked sleeves en, however, it is desired to lock the engine against operation, the numbers upon the peripheries of the permutation tumbler locking rings must be rotated to the position vv'here all thenotches with the toothed plates 1G slid along the outer flange 9 so that the slidable key 15 u posed connecting device 12 inwardlyv out of contact With the outer sleeve 9. The perin an in outer sleeve from master gear may crank shaft. A permutation tuinthe inner sleeve so that the again be driven from the further rotation of the n bier locking rings will then lock the engine in operative position. A dialer other suitable mark may be secured to a part of the engine adjacent the peripheries of the 'locle ing ring so that the location ofthe notches thereon may be readily referred'to a fixed point.1

While the permutation lock` adapted for th W ich it ais intended,

illustrated epurpose for be understood as desired, and that 'various changes may be made in the details and arrangements of my improved locking device Within the scope of the appended claims.

laving described my invention, l claim: locking device for engines, the combination with a rotatable shaft of the engine and a gear thereofl loosely mounted on the shaft, of a pair of rotatable elements secured respectively to said shaft and gear,

shiftable connecting Ameans movable into and out of position elements for simultaneous rotation, means for locking the connecting means in its inoperative position, said locking means comprising a series of permutation tumbler locking rings slidably mounted adjacent said rotatable elements. f

2L in a locking device for engines, the combination with a rotatable shaft of the engine and a gear thereof loosely mounted on the shaft, of a pair of rotatable sleeves and outfof position for alinement, n

of locks may lbe employed' 'cured to said gear i movable into Acured to said gear secured respectively to said shaftand gear, shiftabl tatablesleeves for and means for locking the in its inoperative positiom 3.111 a locking device for engines, the combination with a rotatable. shaft ofthe engine and a secured respectively.4 to said shaft and gear, shiftable connecting means movable into tatable sleeves for simultaneous rotation, and means for locking the connecting means in its inoperative position, said locking means comprising a permutation tumbler lock.

4. In a; locking combination With engine and a gear on the shaft, of a secured respectively to said shaft land gear, shiftable connecting and out of position for connecting said rotatable sleeves for simultaneous rotation, and means for locking the connecting means in oth operative and said locking means comprising ay series of permutation tumbler locking rings slidably rotatable sleeves. ln a locking device for engines, the

device for engines, the a rotatable shaft of the thereof loosely mounted on the shaft, a rotatable member said sha-ft, a second rotatable member secured to said gear and surrounding the iirstmentioned member, a shiftable connecting device carried by one of said members and movable into and out of contact with the other of said members, and means for lock- L ing said connecting device in its operative and inoperative positions. v

In a locking device for engines, the

,combination with a rotatable shaft of the engine and a gear thereof loosely mounted on the shaft, of a slotted rotatable member Gear 'thereof Aloo'sel mounted e Y on the shaft, of a pair of'rotatable sleeves secured to connecting said ropair of rotatable sleeves secured to said shaft, a sleeve member seand surrounding the firstmentioned member, said sleeve member being` provided with a slot adapted to aline with the slot in the first-mentioned member, a. slidable connecting device positioned -in the slot of the first-mentioned device and and out of the sleeve member` and means for locking said connecting device when out of contact With said sleeve member.

ln a locking device for engines` the combination with a rotatable shaft of the engine and a gear thereof looselv'mounted on the shaft, of a slotted rotatable member secured to said shaft, a sleeve member seand surrounding the firstmentioned member, said sleeve member iso . In a locking device for engines, the

combination with a rotatable shaft of the engine and a gear thereof loosely mounted on the shaft, of a slotted rotatable member secured to said shaft, a sleeve memberl secured to said gear and surrounding the firstmentioned member, said sleeve member being provided With a slot adapted to aline with the slot in'the first-mentioned member, a slidable connecting device positioned y in the slot of the first-mentioned device and movable into and out of the slot in the sleeve member, said connecting device comprising a reciprocating member having a' head portion provided with an inclined face, means for normally pressing said member into engagement with said sleeve member, a key member having an inclined face slidable in the slot in said sleeve member, and locking means including a slidable sleeve engaging said key member and a series of permutation tumbler locking rings.

LEWIS J. KNmL. I

Witnesses JOHN F. CAMERON, MAX KAHN.

Copies offthis patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington. D. C. 

